Uganda

Leadership Vistas has held 20 conferences in Uganda over the past 10 years, training more than 400 Ugandan pastors and church leaders. Uganda is a beautiful country with varied wildlife and many national parks. Half of the world’s population of mountain gorillas lives here, as well as lions that climb trees.

In recent years Uganda has become infamous for the Lord’s Resistance Army and its elusive leader Joseph Kony. This conflict has killed over 100,000 people and displaced almost 2 million, half of whom are currently living in poverty in refugee camps. Furthermore, it has brutalized thousands of child soldiers and sex slaves who were forced to serve in his army. Nevertheless, church attendance and interest in Christianity have been high.

Uganda has a great need for well trained pastors as the prosperity gospel has become more popular, and syncretistic practices, pagan shrines, and heresies have increased. As Operation World notes, “many of the fastest growing [Christian] groups have the fewest ordained pastors, the lowest training standards, and the fewest accountability structures.” In addition, there are many divisions in the church, many who have been greatly hurt by the recent conflict with the LRA, and many families and communities who are challenged by the scourge of AIDS.